Hat with rotatable and removable brim

ABSTRACT

A hat with a rotatable and removable brim is provided with a better mechanism for attaching the visor to the crown portion of the hat, allowing the user to easily remove the brim while minimizing accidental separation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention is directed to a hat having a brim or visor which rotates with respect to the crown portion of the hat. Specifically, the invention is directed to improved means for attaching and detaching the rotatable brim or visor from the crown portion of the hat.

2. Description of the Related Art

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,471,684; 5,715,534; RE38,774; 6,789,267 and 7,240,373 teach hats having a movable brim. These patents are representative of the level of ordinary skill in the art and are incorporated by reference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In embodiments, a hat according to the invention consists of a crown portion having a lower periphery, a headband located inside the crown portion at the lower periphery of the crown portion, and a rotatable, removable brim. A track system attaches the brim to the crown portion of the hat. The track system comprises a first track (the “crown track”) which extends around the circumference of the crown portion of the hat and has an inside wall attached directly to the headband, while an outer wall of the track system is attached directly to an interior side of the crown portion of the hat without an intermediate fabric layer. A slot in which the visor slides is formed between the inside wall and the outer wall. The visor is supported in the slot on a runner which extends from the inside wall. The bottom runner is preferably a lip which is formed integrally with the inside wall. A gap formed between the bottom runner and the front wall extends the length of the crown track (preferably around the entire circumference of the crown portion) in which the visor slides to rotate about the crown portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts views of a track system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a brim attached to a track system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 depicts an ejection port in a track system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 depicts views of a hat style according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 depicts a visor with a visor track according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 depicts a track according to an embodiment of the invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 4 depicts a hat 200 including a crown portion 70 having an interior side 74, toward the wearers head, and an exterior side 72. A brim, including visor 40, extends horizontally in a distal direction, away from the exterior side 72 of the crown portion 70. Preferred embodiments include a more rounded shape crown portion.

As described below in connection with FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The brim 40 is attached to the crown portion 70 by a track 100 attached to the lower peripheral edge 80 of the crown portion. Track 100 is preferably comprised of plastic parts, formed by injection molding, extrusion, or other technique known in the art. The track includes a circumferential crown track 102 extending substantially the entire circumference of the crown portion. Preferably, the crown track extends around the entire circumference of the crown portion 70, so that the gap 60 in which the visor 40 slides is continuous and the visor can rotate 360 degrees around the crown portion.

A headband is attached to the inside surface of the crown portion and the inside wall 10 of the crown track is attached to the headband by adhesive, fusing or other means.

The gap 60 in track 100 is formed between a bottom runner 32 on the crown track and outside wall 20 of the track. The bottom runner 32 extends in the distal direction, i.e., away from the wearers head, from the inside wall 10. Preferably, the bottom runner is perpendicular to the inside wall and formed integrally therewith. The bottom runner 32 supports the visor in the gap 60, which is an improvement over the prior art in which the visor was sometimes made so as to hang from the crown.

The visor 40 has a visor track with a lip 42 extending about perpendicularly from the visor. The lip 42 of the visor track is received in a slot formed between the inside wall 10 and the outside wall 20 of the crown track. The lip 42 may have teeth, as shown in FIG. 5, or it may form a single edge.

Outside wall 20 of the track system 100 is situated parallel to the inside wall 10, forming a slot. This slot is substantially closed, except that an ejection port 50 is formed by a gap between opposite longitudinal ends of the outer wall 20 of the track system. This gap allows a first end of visor track 42 (shown in FIG. 5) to slide into the slot at the ejection port 50. An opposite end of the visor track slides into the opening of the slot on the opposite side of the ejection port 50 to complete installation. Similarly, to remove the brim, the user slides the brim until the lip of the visor track is positioned at the ejection port.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, track 100 comprises head band support portion 92 and brim support portion 94. Head band support is sewn into the head band of the crown portion of the hat and the brim support is sewn into the brim. Head band support has a flat back portion facing the crown of the head, with is designed to make the brim spin more smoothly. The absence of a T-shaped or rounded connection between the head band support 92 and the brim support 94 ensures that the brim is easily removed. In this embodiment, the head band support 92 of the track includes an angled protuberance which is an engagement feature facing away from the wearer's head. This engagement feature is received between converging runners, so that the connection between portions of the track is secure yet does not impact wearability.

The above description of the preferred embodiments is not to be deemed limiting of the invention and variations and modifications that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art are encompassed within the invention. 

1. A hat with a rotatable and removable brim, comprising: a crown portion having an interior side, an exterior side, a lower peripheral edge, and a headband attached to the interior side of the crown portion proximate the lower peripheral edge; a brim portion having a visor extending in a distal direction away from the exterior side of the crown portion and a visor track at a proximal edge of the visor; wherein a crown track extending substantially around the circumference of the crown portion proximate the lower peripheral edge, having an inside wall attached to the headband, a bottom runner integral with and extending from the inside wall supporting the visor track, and an outside wall attached to the interior side of the crown portion forming a slot with the inside wall in which the lip of the visor track is received; a gap at the bottom of said slot between the bottom runner and the bottom of the front wall of the crown track in which the visor track is inserted, whereby the visor track slides in the gap along the crown track and the visor rotates with respect to the crown portion; and a gap formed between opposite longitudinal ends of the outside wall forming an ejection port through which the visor track is inserted and removed from the crown track.
 2. A hat with a rotatable and removable brim, comprising: a crown portion having an interior side, an exterior side, a lower peripheral edge, and a headband attached to the interior side of the crown portion proximate the lower peripheral edge; a brim portion having a visor extending in a distal direction away from the exterior side of the crown portion and a visor track at a proximal edge of the visor; wherein a head band support extending substantially around the circumference of the crown portion proximate the lower peripheral edge, having a flat inside wall attached to the headband, a brim support sewn into the brim, attached to and extending from the head band support.
 3. The hat according to claim 2, wherein the head band support includes an angular protuberance facing away from the flat back portion of the head band support.
 4. The hat according to claim 2, wherein the brim support includes two converging runners receiving the angular protuberance. 